


Breaking Life

by WaltersWorks



Category: Original Work
Genre: Death, F/F, F/M, M/M, Magic, Original Universe, This work is my baby, Updates will probably be inconsistent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-13 11:02:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29027655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaltersWorks/pseuds/WaltersWorks
Summary: “I dreamed of you.” The man said, suddenly, tearing Kage out of his observations. “Come in.”Kage blinked for a moment, but dips his head respectfully and, as the man turned aside to make room for him, he would step through the doorway. He mutters his thanks before glancing around the room.The man’s home was hewn out of the mountainside and turned out to be much bigger on the inside than what it had appeared.“I trust you brought payment.”Kage mumbled, following the man over and shrugging off the pack he had. He set it in front of the man.He reaches out and pulls the bag closer to himself, then reaches in to examine the contents. He pulls out a piece of dried meat and takes a bite out of it, chews, then nods. “This will do.”Kage nodded with a small sigh.“Now tell me, why are you here?”“I thought you had dreamed of me. You ought to know why I’ve come.” Kage scoffed“Humor me or find another who can help you.” The man scoffed, gesturing to the second pile of bedding.
Kudos: 2





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is my original work, all of it. There are no characters from other media, I'm just posting my stuff here so my friends can read it.

Months of living alone, in the dark, simply trying to cope with what he had gone through had eaten him up. Love was a horrid thing. It took pieces away from him, until he felt he was not his own anymore. 

Even after it had gone away… When love had twisted to hurt, then anger, then a deep sadness. It still haunted him. Once, solitude had comforted him, but now he was terrified of being left to himself. 

Kage could take the pain no longer, and finally he had set out to find some sort of relief. Physical things had no effect anymore, distractions were fleeting. 

He had searched and searched, and finally he found what he believed to be the answer to his problems. Now, he stood on it’s doorstep. He knocked on the door and patiently waited. His eyes would wander skyward. 

It was gray. Dark. Cold. Kage pressed his lips together. He had hoped that, perhaps, the day he rid himself of his trouble would be a nice one. That the world would seem brighter again. Not that he was fond of light…

It is not a happy day, only fair that it should not look like one either. 

After a few minutes, the door would be pried open, and a wiry, but imposing man would peek through. He was silent at first, which gave Kage a few moments to look him over. 

He was old, that was the first observation he made. He had pure white hair, like a sheet of snow which seemed almost unearthly in texture. It looked both harsh and gentle, as it cascaded down his back and over his shoulders. His eyes however were a stark contrast to the his hair. They were dark, wide, round. There was an infinite depth to them that one could feel if they took a moment to look into his eyes. 

“I dreamed of you.” The man said, suddenly, tearing Kage out of his observations. “Come in, it will snow soon.” 

Kage blinked for a moment, but dips his head respectfully and, as the man turned aside to make room for him, he would step through the doorway. He mutters his thanks before glancing around the room. 

The man’s home was hewn out of the mountainside and turned out to be much bigger on the inside than what it had appeared. 

It was warm and homey inside, there was a hearth with a roaring fire, which both heated and illuminated the room. Near the fire, there were pads on the floor with pillows and blankets tossed over them. Off to the other end of the room, there was a kitchen of sorts, with dried meats and herbs strewn up to dehydrate, and several cooking utensils scattered about. 

“I trust you brought payment.” The man says quietly as he settles onto one of the piles of bedding. 

“Straight to the point, I see…” Kage mumbled, following the man over and shrugging off the pack he had. He set it in front of the man, in arm’s reach, and then stepped away. 

“Of course. I would not have any business if not. Not many come to my door looking for my services, but all know what I require, and it is not much.” The man chuckles. He reaches out and feels for the bag, then brings it closer to himself and reaches in to examine the contents. He pulls out a piece of dried meat and takes a bite out of it, chews, then nods. “This will do.” 

Kage nodded with a small sigh. 

“Now tell me, Shadow, why are you here?” The man’s eyes flicked to and fro, never seeming to focus on anything. Kage took note of this as he took a deep breath and prepared himself for what was to come. 

“I thought you had dreamed of me. You ought to know why I’ve come.” He said with a slight scowl. 

“Humor me or find another who can help you.” The man scoffed, gesturing once again to the second pile of bedding. “If you have come to me to ask a favor, you are in no place to be glib.”

Kage sighed again, but finally took a seat, curling his tail over his lap once he was comfortable, so that he could braid the hairs at the tip. He stared down at his tail, the black scales on it both impossibly dark, but also catching all of the light in the room. He found himself trying to follow the reflection of it with his eyes, as a way of distracting himself from the current topic, but he knew there was no getting out of it. 

The man was patient, he didn’t stare at Kage, or snap at him. He only waited for him to speak, and picked at the piece of dried meat absently. 

Tension built up in Kage, until finally he felt forced to speak. This is why he was here. 

“I’ve… Lost something. I can never get it back, so there is no point in remembering it anymore. I’ve come to give what is left of it to you.” He says, speaking harshly, as if being harsh would make it hurt less. 

The man’s face would shift into a soft smile. “Tell me about it.” 

“I did not come to relive it, old man.” Kage snaps. “Take it and be done!” 

The man waves his hand dismissively. “You are in pain, I get it. But know that I do not want your memories if they are incomplete. You have spent a long time trying to toss them out, no? You cannot. You can tear them apart, suppress them, cover them up, but they are with you forever. I will not take memories that are incomplete or damaged.” The man’s tone would harden finally. He would have no compromise, that was clear. “As I said, humor me, or find another who will help you.” 

Kage’s lips curled back so that he could bare his fangs at the man, but the anger subsided after a few moments. He would hang his head, and his fingers would curl into his hair, tugging lightly at it. 

Just the thought of reliving it was almost physically painful. He gave himself time to work through it, a small tear seeping out of his eye and running down his cheek as he did. Kage made sure to wipe it away before the man could see. 

Eventually, he looks back up, sighing and nodding his head. 

“Are you ready to begin?” The man asked quietly. 

“I guess…” Kage whispered, trying to keep his voice down so that it wouldn’t catch, but it did so anyway. 

“Start from the beginning, then.” He says, reaching over to hand Kage a piece of meat to snack on. 

Kage nods slowly, nibbles on the meat, and lays on his back. He’d stare up at the stone ceiling, which, to his surprise, was painted with stars, clouds, a moon… It was masterful. It felt like staring up into the actual night sky. 

Up with the stars, there were two dragons intertwined with each other. One off-white and serpent-like, the other stocky, muddled with an array of colors, but no less graceful than the first. 

Kage considered commenting on them, but decided against it, and instead he closed his eyes. 

“It all started in The Evergreen City… I never intended to toss myself into the fray, but I suppose Fate would have her way, no matter what I intended…”


	2. The Evergreen City (Pt. 1)

“I had been taking shelter in the city for some time already. I’d had an unfortunate accident back with my tribe that led to my exile- not my fault, mind you. But that’s another story. 

“There’s something for everyone in the Evergreen City. If one wanted to become a farmer, the crops grew so plentifully and were so massive, the harvest lasted almost all year. If one wanted to become a healer, there were plenty of them in the city who needed a hand.

All I wanted was to have a place… Somewhere. I didn’t particularly care where I was or what I was doing. I wanted to _belong_ somewhere.

Eventually I found work at a Blacksmith’s shop, carting deliveries for the lone smith. His name was William. 

He was a kind man. When I came to him for work, he didn’t ask too many questions. He asked if I was a criminal, and if I had a strong back, and when he was happy with my answers, we discussed pay and I started working later that day. 

I don’t particularly care for people in general, especially humans, but this man was special. He was generous, kind, strong, quiet, and upstanding. He knew I didn’t care for useless chatter, so he didn’t bother me much. We had our own way of communicating though, no words. Just looks, gestures, a nod every so often. It was nice, and even though at the time, I didn’t put any effort into getting to know him, he seemed like he still cared. Deep down, I believe that William just might go to the ends of the earth for someone he truly cared about. However, it was never a question about who he cared about, but rather… who _didn’t_ he care about? William was a good man. There was no question. Even though he hardly knew me, I knew he cared about me. He was so kind to all of his patrons, even when they weren’t very kind people themselves. 

William’s heart was so big and… full of love and passion… he was able to pour his soul into his work. His weapons were masterful- that was his specialty- So masterfully crafted, in fact, that the Official Guards of the City and of…” Kage halted in his explanation and looked down, a pang of hurt marring his face as he put his hand over his chest and gripped his tunic. 

“What is it?” The man asked. “Why have you stopped?” 

“S-sorry.” Kage sputtered, “It’s just hard to talk about- i-it’s fine.” He would wave his hand dismissively and shake off the emotion. 

“Even Life’s guards, The Evergreen Order, regularly ordered their weapons from William.” He continued. 

“Did you ever meet her?” The man asked, leaning forward. “Life?” 

Kage looked up to meet the man’s eyes for just a moment, then nodded and slumped again. “Yeah, I did. That’s why most people come to the city, you know.

Life herself resides in that city. You… do know who that is, right?”

The old man shrugged. “I never needed to. I’ve lived up in these mountains my whole life. It’s a simple, trouble free existence… but I do miss out on important events quite often.” 

Kage’s eyes wandered up to the two dragons painted on the ceiling again, and he simply sighed. “Life… _as we all know_ ,” He added with a pointed glare, “Is practically a Goddess. She and her… Partner… Death… well… they keep the world spinning, in a way. 

It’s fairly simple… All things have magic in them, you know. But some have more than others. A fox may have more magic in it than perhaps a rock, but both have it. And while everything has magic in it, not everything has enough to do anything more than keep it alive. 

Life gives us that magic. _She_ keeps us alive. As long as she exists, magic continues to flow freely to the rest of us. And Death… well… He comes to take what has been used up, and returns it to where it came from. A Great Pool, the location of which is supposedly kept a secret between Life and Death _only_. 

They were… meant… to work together. Two dragons, practically immortal, working together for the better of the world. Partners… That’s how it was supposed to be. But Death is not a pleasant person. I’ve met him too, you know. He’s a twisted man. At the dawn of the world, when Life and Death were created, they were lovers. However, eventually Death gave into his nature, which is to kill, and destroy things. He killed Life in cold blood, at the dawn of time. But before she was all gone, she created a way for her soul to be taken away, so that Death could not take it himself. Her soul is taken and she is reborn as someone else later on. No matter how hard anyone ever tries, nothing ever truly breaks the cycle. He always gets to her somehow, and she always dies. 

When she does, that typically leads to several years of famine and disease, when she isn’t around to keep the metaphorical gate open, so that magic flows to the rest of us. Does that make sense?”  
The man nodded. 

“Now… after a few rounds of this, Life made an arrangement with some of her most trusted allies, and they arranged for her to be brought to one specific city every time she is reincarnated.” 

“The Evergreen City.” The man guesses, and Kage nods. 

“Exactly. And as long as she is continually brought back to this city, it continues to grow and grow as more curious people are drawn to it. People want to know what it is like to walk in the midst of a Goddess. People feel comforted knowing she is near them. They feel safe.

I didn’t care about it, personally. I knew she was there, and I wasn’t after her favor or her protection, I can take care of myself. I was only after the opportunities that the city itself would give me.”  
“So… why go on about her? If she is indeed so unimportant to you, that is.” The man’s face twisted into a smug grin.

Kage stared at the man and blinked a few times, then sighed. “Because… Well, when we don’t want things in our lives, they almost always make their way to us anyway. I didn’t need her attention in any way, but somehow, eventually I caught her eye…

I was out doing shopping for William, the man worked so much he hardly ever took care of himself, so on good days, I would do a little extra work to help him out. I didn’t have anything stopping me from taking care of him just a little, here and there. 

The inner mountain was where the Temple, Market, and Upper Living District were. It was like… a giant ant hill, and the roads from the outer city simply led inside the mountain as if it weren’t even there.

Now, most Dragons are not welcome among humans unless they have proven themselves not to be a threat- Thanks to Death, by the way. 

We live on the fringes of society because sometimes we need humans. To protect ourselves as we walk the line between Dragon kind and Mankind, we evolved. We evolved to be able to take on a more humanoid form, and when that wasn’t enough, we developed magic that conceals our Draconic features, making us look completely human to the casual viewer. Almost all Dragons are so attuned with the magic in the world that we sense it when there is something near us- like a cloaking spell- we can sense it. I hadn’t accounted for this…

While I stood in line in front of a stall, to pick up the next item from William’s list, I felt her. I looked around and… there she was. Standing at the top of the Temple’s stairs, several of her guards flanked her, though they kept some distance. She stood there, unabashedly showing everyone her true colors. Pristine, rose colored scales that seemed to shine with every bit of light that reflected off of them from around the room, and this… Barely developed set of horns that hardly protruded from under her hair. She couldn’t be much older than myself, I knew that for a fact.

At her feet, on the stairs, several guards kept devotees at bay as they laid offerings at her feet, with little petty requests. 

_‘Please, your majesty, my son, please this…’_ and _‘please madam I’ve this sore that has pestered me for weeks, if you could please that…’_. 

It was pathetic, but somehow, despite the incessant begging of the humans at her feet, she seemed to have all but tuned them out in favor of setting those golden eyes of hers on none other than me…

It was so intense and… _intoxicating_. It felt like God had reached up from The Great Pool and taken ahold of me, filled me with raw magic. It took my very breath away, and then-

 _‘You, next in line! Step up or I’ll have someone else take your place!’_

I was rudely snapped out of my daze by the vendor I was in line for, and I stepped up. I hastily ordered what I needed, and the man took his time putting everything together. I didn’t want her attention, I still knew that. I didn’t need to get caught up in Draconic matters anymore than I already had, I was doing things the human way. But why did she look at me that way? Why had that sensation gripped me so firmly? What was she trying to tell me, if anything?

The feeling had almost completely faded by the time I turned my attention back towards the stairs, she was gone. 

Thinking nothing of it, save for the fact that it had been unsettling and strange, I walked back to William’s shop with the rest of his groceries. Once things had all been sorted out and the exchange was over with, I had slipped my hand into my pocket and found a torn piece of parchment. On one side a small note written, which said ‘Meet me outside the city when the moon is three fingers above the horizon.’ 

I was shaken yet again. This _had_ to be her’s, right? Who else could it possibly be? I had been so very careful to keep my true identity a secret, there was no way it could have possibly been anyone else. 

Avoiding these kinds of situations is usually a bad idea. Dragon culture demands that one answer when called by Life, but then, who was to stop me from denying the challenge? I could answer the call, or leave the city, and only one option made sense for me. 

So I left my home at sundown and calmly made my way outside the city. Leaving was easy, but I knew that if I was meeting Life, she would want to see my true form, so I found somewhere secluded and sat down to wait for her. I sat for hours, awaiting some terrible fate which I knew for a fact was coming. Scenarios ran through my head over and over, I would be dead by morning, she would have killed me by then, unless I ran. But for some reason that seemed better than fleeing the city, I would rather suffer at her hands than at the hands of my tribe or barbaric humans. 

Eventually I heard her coming, felt her coming. It was my last chance to run, and yet… I wanted to feel what I had felt before. That overwhelming fullness she had given me by simply looking at me. I wanted it just one more time. 

“You’re here.” I heard her say. Her voice was small, but somehow warm and comforting. Inviting even. 

My very breath caught in my throat, and I stared up at the sky as I felt her gaze on me yet again, too nervous to look at her and too enraptured to run. 

“Are you alright? I didn’t mean to scare you.”

I shook my head to try and clear it so that maybe somehow I could look at her without showing her just how unsettled I was. 

“I’m fine.” I steeled myself and calmly turned my head to look at her, “I’m not scared.”   
She laughed quietly as she slowly made her way over to me, and carefully sat down beside me on the ground. She was so close to me, I felt the texture of the scales on her shoulder as they brushed against mine. They almost felt like leaves, very delicate, yet sturdy. She made herself comfortable, letting her tail loosely curl around her, and her wings unfurl to rest on the ground.

“Good, then you wouldn’t mind if I sat here with you.” 

“Er… no, I guess not... I was… expecting you, you know.” I swallowed hard, it felt like there was a huge lump in my throat when I did. All of the pressure from the magic that was filling me felt like it was going to make me burst. Like the lines that defined my physical form were starting to blur and become thin. Myself and my environment were becoming one, and I shared the same magic with the trees, grass, and soil… and her. I was swept up in a great wave, one little drop of water in a swirling current somewhere in the ocean.

Then she turned her gaze away from me again, the feeling left, and she seemed saddened. This did nothing to hide what I could only describe as hope, however. “Were you, now? Have you something to say, then?” 

“I- uh- I didn’t-” What was I supposed to say? This was her territory, through and through. It had been for a millennia, every time she died, her new body was always brought back to this very mountain and she was hidden away until she could assume the throne of what was now a kingdom. All I could do was hope she didn’t make me leave. “Look, I-I really like it here- and I swear I mean no harm whatsoever. I just need somewhere to call home and I…” 

Abruptly, she reached over and put her finger over my mouth, without really looking at me. “Listen, I hear this all the time, it’s fine.” 

“You… you do?” 

“Yeah, I do.” She sighed and put her head in her hands again, letting her claws brush lightly over her scalp as she ran them through her hair. “Miss _this_ , and Majesty _that_. It’s all so very boring. I’m so tired of people treating me like that- and to be frank, I’m tired of humans.” She scoffed. 

I was confused, and in my confusion I lost my words. I simply stared at her, watched her Godly ruse wash away and be replaced by what was just a girl.

“I was hoping… maybe… you could help with that. I was wondering if you’d like to fly with me.” She turned her head slightly, not setting eyes on me again, but simply showing she was listening to me. 

“With you? Why?” I scowled slightly, if this was an attempt to silence me before I had any say in my fate, it was ill conceived. 

She scoffed. “Because you _can_ , silly! Want to know something?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but she didn’t wait for me to say anything before continuing. 

“It has been _years_ since I’ve had the company of another dragon! We simply _must_ do something together that only _we_ can do!” She rocked her body so that she could get up on her feet, and extended a hand towards me. 

Confused yet again by… everything about her, I simply stared. I tried imagining not seeing another dragon for years, and found myself daydreaming about it for a moment. It sounded like bliss to me, and yet she welcomed me so readily. It was an idea I didn’t understand in the slightest, and I didn’t trust it. Didn’t trust _her_.

She frowned a little, and lowered her gaze. Not that it ever seemed to settle on any one thing. “You can say no, I won’t be mad…” She muttered. 

“Look…” I sighed, glancing about as I searched for the words to say what I needed to say. “I… My relationships with other dragons have never really… gone… well… Not that I expect you to understand, but ah… some dragons just… aren’t made to be close to others.” 

“Oh.” She said flatly, glancing up at me again, which caused my breath to catch in my throat. I suppose she noticed, because she quickly looked away with a scowl plastered onto her otherwise soft features. “It’s fine, I get it. I’ll try not to bother you anymore then, I guess.” 

She turned, and started to shuffle away sadly, I watched her go. Confusion, and a pang of guilt tugged at me, as well as some part of me that simply craved the feeling of fullness that her magic gave off. Maybe there was some sort of compromise we could have come to, if only I was more trusting… But… No. I would not change my mind. She gave me the option to say no, and I exercised that freedom.

Eventually when she was far enough away, she spread her wings and took flight, leaving me in almost complete silence. 

_I did it. She said she would leave me be, which means all I have to do is_ not _be stupid. I’m… free._

Or so I thought.

I got up and brushed myself off, happy to forget about the encounter altogether. I slipped back into the city, past the guards and off into the crowded streets of the lower district. 

If and when Death ever attacked the city, (which historically, was not uncommon) this area was the first to be hit. By the look of it, a lot of this district simply hadn’t been repaired since the last attack, and the people who lived here had shaped their home lives around this. Using rubble as seating, and firepits, holes in the walls as windows, and floors where the roof had been knocked off as lounges with a view of the sky. 

The people living here were humble, albeit a little sketchy. I was invited to join groups by their fires several times, but of course, I had somewhere to be. A warm bed of straw back at my room to collapse into. 

On my way, I’d noticed a woman following some ways behind me. I didn’t much care for it, so I thought I’d slip into an alleyway to lose her. 

When the opportunity presented itself, I turned a corner and, once I had made sure no one was watching, I shifted into my shadow form and hid among the ones that were already there. 

I heard her start to run, and then skid to a halt as she entered the alleyway, I heard the soles of her boots click against the stone, and then they stopped. She was just… standing there, waiting. Then I felt heat, the heat of a fire as it seemed to spread all over me. I had to move, or risk getting hurt, but I couldn’t hear anything but her heavy breathing, couldn’t see anything but shadows. I started to slowly move away, hoping if I was careful enough she might not notice. Sadly, just as I thought I was going to escape, I felt the heat again, pinning my tail to the ground. 

“Come out, snake.” The woman hissed.

Reluctantly, I came out of my shadow form, and yanked my tail away from her before her torch caught it on fire. 

“Where is she?? Where did she go? How could you send her away??” 

I quickly recast the spell I used to appear human, and then scowled at her. She was an older woman, not elderly, but certainly passing her prime soon. Her face had wrinkles in it, her eyes seemed sunken and her face was as pale as one could be while still maintaining a bronzed skin tone. She seemed unwell, but why?

“Answer me.” The woman scowled. 

“I have no idea what you’re going on about.” I scoffed. “My business doesn’t concern you.” 

“No, it does.” She said, letting out a mirthless chuckle. “You sent away my chance at a cure! I saw her fly away from you, in the field.”   
“Then go after her. This isn’t my problem, lady.” I put my hands up in a shrug and started to walk away. The woman was silent at first, which made me happy. Her voice was irritating, and I was happy to have the confrontation over with. 

“I know what you are!” She finally called, catching my attention again. “You’re a dragon, don’t pretend I didn’t just see you materialize from shadow. Last I checked… your kind aren’t supposed to be here.” 

“Without permission. Which I have.” I corrected her, rolling my eyes as I turned to face her again. “And keep your damn voice down, there is no need to tell the entire city.” 

“Oh really? Let’s see the permit then.” The woman put her hands on her hips, and lifted her eyebrow. “I’d be seen as a savior for exposing a dragon in hiding, you know.” 

I frowned. What could have this woman so pressed she’d cause a fuss like this? I didn’t understand it at all, but the one thing I did understand was that she was looking for an upper hand. 

“I don’t have to prove myself to a commoner woman such as yourself, leave me alone.” 

“If you aren’t worried about it, I can just take this matter to the guards. I’m sure they’ll clear matters up for me at the very least.” 

I rolled my eyes and huffed. She had pinned me. “ _What_ do you want??” 

The woman sauntered over and looked up at me, fearless. The scent of herbs hit my nostrils and assaulted my senses from this close, forcing me to step back just to catch my breath. She smirked. 

“Magic. That’s what I want, what I _need_.” The woman said as she adjusted her baggy clothing around her neck. She wore a hood and a scarf, and a tunic that was far too large for her. It’s loose ends were kept from impeding her movements by a thin cord tied around her waist.

“I don’t know what rock you’ve spent your entire life living under, but I can’t give you magic. It’ll kill you, everyone knows that.” I scoffed again, crossing my arms over my chest. 

“I’m well aware of the effects of magic on humans.” The woman said, putting her hands up. “I didn’t ask for you to take care of me, I told you want I want. You’re going to get it for me, or you’re going to be run out of town by The Guard.”   
I was taken back by her boldness, but then I reminded myself that I was being forced to do something I didn’t want to do. “If it’s death you want, I could fix that right here.” I chuckled. 

“Try it.” The woman said, producing from those baggy clothes of hers a dagger, tipped in some sort of mixture which smelled offensive in and of itself. “I know this won’t do much, but then again, it doesn’t have to. All I have to do is scream for help, and you’ll become a monster to this city. Not that you need my help for that.”   
“Okay, fine. Where the hell am I supposed to find magic for you? How would I even bring it to you?”   
“If I knew, I wouldn’t be blackmailing you, dumbass.” The woman scoffed. “I could care less how you get it, but when you do, bring it to alleyway and tie this ribbon around it.” She would reach into a pouch she carried with her and produce a red ribbon. The faintest trace of magic lingered on it, which made me wary. Still, I reluctantly took the ribbon and stuffed it into my pocket.   
“Any other demands, your majesty?” I scoffed  
“If it’s substantial enough, I just might stay out of your hair for good.” She grinned. “Call me V, by the way. What’s your name?”  
I rolled my eyes and turned away from her to walk off. “We’re not friends.” 

“Have it your way then.”   
_‘Would anyone else like to have a turn at ruining my day?’_ I thought to myself. Thankfully no one did. I made my way home, to a quiet inn which I had taken temporary residence in. I stopped by the bar to order a warm plate of food, paid, and then took the plate up to my room.   
As I opened the door, I half expected to see the Guard waiting for me, however, as I set eyes on my belongings and found them to be exactly how I had left them. I breathed a sigh of relief and took a seat in the windowsill where I enjoyed a quiet meal. 

I was thankful for the time I had to sit down and unwind. I relaxed my shoulders and rolled them a bit to ease the aching. Why was it that everything had to go wrong today? I thought I had kept my nose clean, but apparently it wasn’t enough.   
I found myself scowling down at the oversized food on my plate. 

How long has it been since I’ve flown, I wonder. Days in this city seemed to blend into each other. The city never slept, even at night there were always people in the streets. Everyone was always busy doing something. 

It’s all meaningless, all of it. All of the little humans vying for attention from their draconic queen, their goddess. Working and working their lives away, and spending them in the comfort that the walls provided. It wasn’t even safe here, when you thought about it. Death could come any day and wipe the city out yet again, it wasn’t like walls did anything to stop him.

I scoffed and laughed before realizing I was in the fray too. I was here to hide, to work, and to eventually die, ideally in the comfort of a home.

I looked up at the sky and briefly wished I could jump off the roof of the building and soar into the sky, but doing so would do me no good… Maybe I should have gone flying with her… I let my head hang and groaned quietly.   
What could I have done better in that situation? What choice did I have, if I expected to keep my head low in this city? There were so many eyes on her, there was no way I could do anything with her, without drawing some of that attention to myself. 

And what about V? All I did was speak with Life in private for a minute or two, and I already had the eyes of some shifty witch on me. What to do? If left to her devices, she’d probably just blackmail me again once she used up all the magic I got for her. 

‘I _could_ probably kill her…’ I grinned at this, and then groaned. Killing her would just end up with me getting run out of town again… Which leads me to the biggest problem thus far, where to get magic? I hardly know the city as it is, and this stupid human expects me to find magic for her like it’s just going to be sitting on the side of the road. 

William would probably know something useful… But God, I hardly know him… How would I even ask? We hardly speak as it is, but… It’s the best idea I have.

I’d have to swallow my pride- or what was left of it- and get it over with. If I had to depend on any human, at least it was William.

The next morning felt like any other, I had nearly tricked myself to believe it had all been a strange, vivid dream. However, when I saw the ribbon on my dresser, I groaned as the reality of it hit me and immediately soured my mood. 

As per my usual routine, I crawled out of bed, dressed, had breakfast, and then jogged over to Will’s shop. I paused out front to straighten my clothes out and gather my nerves. _‘He’s just a man, nothing more._ ’ I steeled myself, and walked in.

Not surprisingly, he was hard at work already, even early in the morning. I had hoped to catch him before he got busy… 

“You’re early, Kage.” He chuckled, only glancing up from his work momentarily to look at me, and then pausing to squint. “Rough night?” 

I blinked once or twice. Was it so obvious? “Oh uh- yeah.” 

“Is something wrong? Do you… want to talk abou-”

“No. Thank you.” I chuckled uncomfortably, and rocked on my heels. “But um, I was wondering if maybe you’d like to have lunch together or something… Go out and show me the city or something…” I hunched over to make myself smaller, this was so uncomfortable…”

Will stopped hammering the metal he was working with, and moved over to quench it. “All this time you’ve hardly spoken to me, and all of the sudden you want to go on a lunch date?” 

“Not a date.” I corrected him, “I just figured… if I plan on being here a while, why not?” 

Will furrowed his brow, he was thinking about it. What else was there to it? Nothing that he would be aware of, so why was this so difficult for him?? 

“Well I pack my lunches, so I don’t have to leave the shop, but… If you like, you could have dinner with me instead. Not a date, of course.” He laughed. “We’ll tour first, dine second… and then you’re free to do what you will afterwards. How’s that sound?” William wiped his brow and smiled warmly at me, before taking his blade out of the water and holding it up to check it. 

I smiled awkwardly and nodded. “Sounds good. So… after work?”

“After work.” He nodded, “For now,” William gestured to a small pile of items he’d finished up, and a list of names and drop points next to it. 

“And once you’re done with that, you can sharpen blades for me. There’s a festival coming up and the Guard stopped by to commission some general maintenance they want done _before_ people start showing up.” He scoffs, ad mutters to himself. “Like they’re my only clients… Who do they think they are?” 

With the tension from confronting William mostly over, my day would be easy from there. All I had to do was cart deliveries, which was easy. Take the weapons to the businesses or homes of clients, drop it off, collect the money. Afterwards, I sharpened blades and cleaned the shop for William while he dealt with more important tasks. I took a moment to watch him, and all I could seem to do was shake my head. 

Imagine working in a shop, every day of your adult life. Bowing your head to the whims of every customer who came through, working away your youth. I imagined William many years later, growing old, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t seem to picture him ever retiring. The man wanted to work, he wanted to keep on his toes. He wanted to die this way, it seemed. 

“William.” I found myself calling his name before I could stop myself, but it was too late to take it back. 

“What is it?” 

“I just- uh- I was wondering… how long have you been doing this?” God, I felt like shrinking into myself. Why’d I have to open my stupid mouth?

“Oh, well… most of my life actually.” He says, frowning slightly as he thought about it before looking back over towards me. “Why do you ask? You wanting to do this too?” 

“Oh, no. This sort of work isn’t for me.” I chuckled a little at the thought of it. “I was just wondering I guess. Haven’t you ever wanted to do something else? You know, while you’re still young… ish.” 

Will smirked at the last part, making his face wrinkle in the way that only his does. The corners of his eyes and mouth had lines from how much William smiled, and even stayed when he stopped smiling, giving him a perpetual, comforting aura. It was it’s own kind of magic. The magic that only comes from holding on to the person you want to be, for years and years, until it’s so imprinted on your soul that it’s there forever. The kind of magic that dragons could only dream of getting their hands on. 

“No, I can’t say I’ve ever wanted to get back out there in the world. I’ve seen what’s out there, and it’s just… not for me.” 

“So you’re fine, just sitting in this shop and working for people until you’re too old to do anything else? Haven’t you ever wanted to just… let go and chase your dreams? Be free?” I frowned again, but it was out of concern now. Not that it was up to me to decide what this man did with his life, but to me, this life was a death sentence. 

“This is my dream, kid.” He chuckles, turning his attention back to his grindstone. “When I was younger, maybe I wanted to get away from home, maybe explore a bit. Maybe I wanted to make a big difference out there. Maybe I wanted to save people, or become the man people told their children about, or have a statue made of me… But I don’t want that anymore. All I want now is to live a quiet life here, to do small things for people, and make their lives just a little bit better. I want to live a slow, routine life, and die an old man. I’m happy here, don’t you worry.” He assured me. 

I blinked a few times to process this. A slow, routine life, huh? “You do you, I guess.” 

Even if I hated the mental image that came to mind, of William still pounding away at metal even as he grew old. The idea of this man giving away pieces of his soul with every new customer. I couldn’t help but feel I was standing at the bottom of the same staircase he was climbing, and the thought haunted me. 

Either way, there was no way I would let that happen to me. The endgame for me was freedom, and William’s ideal life was the opposite of that. I had possibly hundreds of years ahead of me to get around to my goals, and William only had maybe a few decades left before his body would start to fail him. 

It was no concern of mine, I decided finally. William’s fate was the same as any human’s, and that was simply a reality I had to face. I wasn’t sure why this was important to me all of the sudden, but I knew I shouldn’t put too much thought into it. 

The end of the day came in what felt like no time at all. Figures, because I had wanted to have just a little more time to think about things. Time flies when you’re debating the pros and cons of a shorter lifespan, I guess. 

I helped William close the shop, and then awkwardly rocked on my heels as he was locking the door. 

_What now?_

He turned to me, and stuffed his hands into his pockets, mimicking my expression as he caught onto it. “My least favorite part of the day.” He chuckles quietly. “Usually I get what I need from the market before I go home and get cleaned up.” 

“Yeah, uh… me too.” I’d nod gently. “So…”

“You wanted a tour of the city, right? Come with me.” He waves for me to walk with him as he turns on his heels and starts to walk uphill to the Upper district. 

I followed William, at first simply following in his footsteps, before he started walking slower, so I took to his side instead. 

Right about now, the middle district was both falling asleep, and waking up at the same time. Businesses were closing as the sun fell below the treeline on the horizon, and guards were out whispering to the globes along the sidewalks, to light them up. The men and women who ran the shops were locking up for the night, and the bars were coming to life, drawing in all of the working folk. People from the fields could be seen returning to their families, and homes started lighting up as well. It was sort of pretty seeing the city lighting up, especially now that I was paying attention to it.   
“Beautiful, isn’t it? I love this city.” He sighs. 

“It really is something.” I’d reply, chuckling a little. “What are those? Some kind of magic?” I ask, pointing to a row of the little globes that lit up the sides of the roads. 

“Oh those? They’re our street lanterns.” He grins. “Dunno what they’re actually called, but I think they’re real neat. Never seen em before I came here, to be honest.” 

_How useful._ I sighed inwardly, but smiled anyway. “How do they work? They’re magic, aren’t they?” 

“Well yes, but they’re legal.” He shrugs. “Rumor is that they’re full of some weird juice, and when you talk to it, it lights up.”

As we passed one, I casually batted at it, out of curiosity. It was tied to a string that I assumed was to keep it from floating away It was hard and made of glass, with a metal cage fitted around it. The globe drifted aside as I batted it, then eventually found it’s equilibrium again and was still. “Neat.” I muttered. “And they just have these sitting around? No one has a problem with that?”

“Well there are some folks who have their complaints. But anyone can use em, it’s not magic _we_ use, it’s already there. You just have to know the words to activate them.” He explains very matter-of-factly with an ambiguous shrug. 

Once we had climbed to the entrance to the Upper District, there was a small pause in the conversation as we passed through the tunnel. It was never quiet here, too many people chattering away to each other inside a giant cave created a constant din. The tunnels had the worst of it, however. 

Once we had cleared the tunnel, William joined a current of people slowly making their way to different market stands. The inside of the mountain had slowly been carved out by construction workers, to clear way for new levels and paths to get to them, and then other rooms carved out along those paths for little pockets, where people could rent out rooms for their shops. On the ground floor, there was a tree that grew out of the center of the cave, with a decorative wall built around it, there was a small stream that led into a basin that watered the tree, and then went on further into the caves. This was this was the town square, all paths led to this area, and thus it was a busy place for small-time businesses with their little carts of goods. They usually owned shops somewhere else in this city, but here, everyone in the city could set eyes on your goods. This was William’s favorite place to shop. 

He fell into a line, standing still finally so all I had to do was catch up to him, but I was not in tune with people the same way he was. I had a hard time reading the flow of things, and settled for trying to force my way through them. 

I broke through the first line of people and found myself pressed up against the little decorative wall that encircled the tree at the center. I climbed up the wall so I could walk on top of it to bypass more of the people who were in the way. However, once I stood up atop the wall and started walking across it, the cave quieted slightly, which I knew was bad. One woman cried out, in the crowd, which caught my gaze. That was when I noticed that almost all eyes in this cave were on me, and I froze in place, mortified.

_Why are they staring? Have I forgotten to disguise myself? If they could see my true form, surely they would be running by now…_

I briefly considered glancing down at some part of me to see if that was the case, but if it wasn’t, it would be strange. 

A robed man was shoving his way through the crowd, and came to the base of the wall just underneath me. “Boy, do you have any idea where you are right now?” He asked me, in an almost condescending manner.

“Um… No?” I frowned slightly. “The Upper District?” 

“Smart, kid.” He scoffs, “Play dumb all you like.” 

“I really don’t.” I replied, “It’s just a dumb wall, I don’t understand why everyone is staring.” 

Around now, William had clambered his way through the crowd to stand under me as well. “Sir, this is just a misunderstanding, he’s new around here.” He assured the man. 

The man, who appeared to be some sort of priest shook his head and slammed his cane on the ground. “There should be repercussions for desecration of sacred ground, nonetheless! How else will we raise a faithful generation in the years to come?” He shouted, turning to the rest of the townsfolk who were watching, for support. 

While most of them had stopped watching to go about their daily lives again, a good few had stayed to be nosey. A few in the small crowd murmured in agreement. “To Our Lady then!” He shouted, and reached up to grab me, but I kicked his hand away. “Agh! Violence! He’s raised his hand against me, arrest him!” 

Panic started to build up inside me, and I wondered what I ought to do. Should I run? Should I abandon this city too? 

I glanced down towards William, expecting to see him having turned on me as well, but he was putting himself between me and the rest of the crowd, now reaching for me greedily.   
“That won’t be necessary, Elric, thank you.” A familiar voice sighed over the crowd. I looked up again to find the cool, composed, and regal looking form of Life, standing amidst the crowd, in all her Draconic splendor. 

The shouting man stopped immediately and looked up at her. Immediately he bowed, with a quiet exclamation, “Our Lady Everlasting! This man has climbed the wall built around your sacred Tree of Ages, and defiled the grounds. We bring him before you today, to demand your Divine Retribution.” 

“You will demand nothing from Her Majesty.” A new voice this time, coming from a man next to Life. A bodyguard of sorts from the look of his armor, which I had seen several times in Will’s shop. The man looked at me, and I swear the navy in his eyes brightened momentarily as he looked me over, however his face remained neutral. “However, If I could suggest-” 

“No need, Markus.” She said quietly before looking at Elric, the robed man, again. “Now to address your issue, Elric, there is no need for-” She scoffs, “Divine retribution. This is no malicious man, he is simply a lost, confused boy.” She adds, looking to me. “He isn’t sure of anything, right now, so why should I?” 

“Your majesty, I assure you that is exactly the case.” William interjected with a deeply respectful bow. “I was taking him under my wing, and I have been educating him about the city. We simply hadn’t gotten to the- ah-… Cultural part, yet.” He adds. “If it pleases her majesty, I’ll take this boy back home to cover the rest in a more controlled environment.” 

“Very well. Finish your business here, and let no one disturb you further.” She finishes with a small smile directed at me, and then a small bow to the both of us, once I had climbed back down the wall. 

“Yes ma’am.” He replies firmly. 

Life would turn away from the two of us again to walk back to the temple, and as she was, her bodyguard had another long look at me, before he scoffed, shook his head, and fell in step with Life.

William herded me away from the wall once I had climbed down, using his body to partially shield me from everyone else. He hastily grabbed his package from the merchant, and then continued herding me out of the way of most of the others in the room, who then went about their business. 

“Right, so that’s on me. Sorry about that, I’m sure you’re shaken up a bit.” He sighs as he lets me go, and brushes my shoulders off. A concerned expression on his face as he tried looking into my eyes. 

I quickly looked away and cleared my throat. “It wasn’t anything. I’m used to this kind of treatment.” I let out a quiet chuckle and glanced back at him, only to find my attempt at humor had the opposite effect. Of course I was only making his life harder, that’s what I did to everyone else, wasn’t it?

William stood up straight again, practically towering over me as he put his hands on his hips and shook his head. “Stay here kid, alright? I’m going to get the other ingredients for dinner tonight.” 

I shrugged and let out a mirthless chuckle as I turned around to take a seat on a nearby stone. “Don’t want me embarrassing you again… I get it. I’ll stay put.” 

He pointed at me, and adopted a more stern stance. “You _know_ that is not what I said. I am not disappointed in you, I just don’t want you getting into trouble is all… I’m worried, alright? So stay still, don’t touch anything that looks… important… and I’ll be right back, okay?” 

I rolled my eyes and waved him off, “Just hurry.” 

Will gave me a long look, I could feel it without even looking at him, it burned my skin the longer he stayed, but I refused to break. Eventually, he walked away, I could relax again for a moment. 

I glanced down at the stone I was sitting on, since I know for a fact I didn’t check to see if it looked sacred or religious in any way. Thankfully, there were no markings on it, however now I was curious about the wall I had climbed. 

I stood up again to have a look at it, only to bump into a woman standing nearby. I muttered a quiet apology, but continued to try and get a good look at the wall over all of the people passing between me and it. 

“It isn’t that important, you know.” The woman said. Her voice chilled my bones as I realized who it was, and I quickly grabbed for anything I may have set down. 

“Who likes walls anyway, you know?” I laughed nervously, “Best not to linger on these kinds of things.” 

“I don’t like walls.” I felt her eyes on me too, but unlike William’s, this effect was very real. As I tried to step away, she reached out and grabbed my wrist, which only worsened the effect. “Please wait. I wanted to talk to you again.” 

“Without a bodyguard?” I scoffed and turned to look back at her. She had a cloak on, which was surprisingly disgusting, caked in mud and… stray fur… Of course no one would bat an eye in her direction, unless it was to shoo her out of this district. 

“Retainer. And No, he’s here too. But he won’t say anything I don’t let him.” She said, with no small amount of confidence. “You’re safe, Kage.” 

Sighing, and partially trying to catch my breath again as her magic seemed to attack my senses in the gentlest ways possible. “Can you stop doing that?” I asked first. “I’ll talk, or whatever, but it can’t be for long.” 

She turned her eyes down towards her feet again, and let go of my arm once I stopped trying to tug it away from her. “You have plans already?” 

“I do, actually. With my boss.” I said smugly, puffing my chest out with pride. 

“Your boss, huh? So you get along with humans just fine.” She lifted an eyebrow, still keeping her eyes off of me. However now she looked upwards towards the ceiling, and occasionally in the direction of the tree behind the walls. 

“Well he’s not like… my _boss_. He acts more like a father, if anything. But he pays me, and he really is showing me the city tonight.” 

“William, right?” She asked, smiling a little as she seemed to be relishing in some experience of her own. “He’s a good man. If you are looking for a home, you will find it with him.” 

I blinked a few times before rolling my eyes again. “Yeah, and he’s going to be coming back any second, I don’t want him seeing me with you. What is it that you wanted to talk about.”

She looked a little hurt at that and glanced over towards her retainer. “I ah- I didn’t- well, maybe it’s not as important as I thought.” She sputters, taking a few steps back away from me. “I’m sorry for disturbing you. I didn’t realize you had such strong feelings about… your privacy.” 

I blinked and looked between her and her retainer, then back at her. “I thought I made it fairly clear the first time. I don’t want _anything_ going wrong for me here, and there’s no way I’d ever sleep if you, of all people, are breathing down my neck. I’m sorry it’s you, but it is, so just _please_ go away.” 

“I understand…” She says quietly, hardly audible over the din of the room, then she would straighten up and clear her voice, just as William was walking up on the three of us. “Markus, beside me.” She beckoned her retainer to her side, and took on a more regal disposition. 

“What in the world is going on here?” Will asked as he walked up, “Your Greatness- I assure you whatever is going on-”

“At ease, William.” She said, raising a hand towards Will. He would freeze in place, and take a step back, resigning to whatever her will was. He looked at me and mouthed ‘sorry’. 

I looked back at Life, only to see she was turning away. “We were simply welcoming your apprentice to the city, and assuring him _all was forgiven_.” She shot a venomous glare in my direction at the last part, but somehow maintained her regal posture. “Have a good evening, both of you.” She hummed sweetly as she brushed past William and walked off. 

Will waited until the both of them had walked off a bit, “What in Death’s Den did you do?” He asked, slight panic in his voice. “Dunno much about women but that one sure didn’t seem happy to me.”

“She’s a monarch, Will. Of course she isn’t happy.” I scoffed and grinned humorously. 

“Wipe that grin off your face Kage, she’s pissed!” He reached over to give me a weak push on my shoulder, but I grabbed his arm to stop him. To absolutely no one’s surprise, the man was stronger than he looked. 

“Why should I care if she’s pissed? She’s not my problem, she probably has plenty of people around her to dote on her until she feels better, or something.” I twisted around William to be on the other side of him, towards the exit tunnel. 

He frowned at me, as if I had personally offended him and also surprised him somehow. But what should I expect? This was one of the first times we’d had any kind of interactions outside of work. Things were different here. “I won’t tell you how to live your life, but I would certainly avoid angering monarchs too often.” 

“Yeah, well it’s not your problem either Will. You’re my boss, not my Dad. If I were you, I wouldn’t even care about me.” I put my hands up in a shrug at the end. “Now can we just go? You don’t have to have me over for dinner anymore if it ruins your appetite, but I’d like to at least get out of this tunnel.” 

“Sure. Fine. Let’s go to my place, there’s no need for us to argue, or burn bridges over this.” Will sighed quietly, resigning himself yet again. 

I took that as the sign that he was done fussing over me and spun on my heel, diving into the crowd and starting to squirm my way through the crowd until I exited the tunnel again, when I let Will take the lead.


End file.
